


Shipbreaker

by SelfProclaimedUnicorn



Series: A Court of Glass Oneshots [4]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Brother relationship, Gen, in which i mention steffon baratheon & cassana estermont, pre-asoiaf, the suffering...its so good
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-22
Updated: 2019-01-22
Packaged: 2019-10-14 15:42:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17511344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SelfProclaimedUnicorn/pseuds/SelfProclaimedUnicorn





	Shipbreaker

“Steffon!”

The cry broke forth from Kieran’s mouth, the grief and disbelief in his chest violently pushing out his brother’s name. Out of the corners of his eyes he could see the others--his wife, his oldest nephews, his oldest daughter, servants--all crying out as the pieces of the  _ Windproud _ sank beneath Shipbreaker Bay. Everyone's mouths were moving, but Kieran could hear no sounds save for the ringing in his ears. His arms and legs began to tingle as if blood flow had only just started to come to them.

He clenched his jaw so tightly it began to hurt. His knuckles turned white and his fingers dug into the stone wall of the ramparts for the brief moment he took to grip them and steady himself. Once Kieran felt his limbs were useful again he pushed himself away from the wall and began to stride purposefully towards the stone stairs that lead back down to the grounds of the keep. He went down the stairs as quickly as he was able, right hand pushed against the wall to keep himself from falling down the steep stairs and seeing  _ himself  _ on the business end of catastrophe.

He reached the ground once again and turned towards the gate, marching towards the exit with single-minded determination. With each step Kieran’s pace quickened, and he began to undo the buttons of his jerkin. The ringing in his ears lessened as he walked, and by the time he had shed the first layer of his clothes the commotion of everyone he had left behind on the ramparts sounded like a distant roar.

Next was his shirt. He loosened the lacings keeping the neck closed and began to pull the linen garment from his broad frame, shirt nearly off before he felt a hand gripping his now exposed shoulder.

“Kieran!”

He turned around, dropping his shirt to the ground to join his jerkin. His steely gaze landing on his wife’s face. All at once the ringing stopped. He could distinctly hear the cries of anguish coming from Storm’s End, the roaring ocean as the storm that had sunk Steffon’s ship grew closer, his own heavy breathing.

“Kieran, you cannot jump in that water!” Nilira’s thin brows were knitted together in concern, and large tears fell from her brown eyes. Her heavily accented voice was thick from having to choke back loud sobs.

“Steffon is-Cassana-they--” Kieran turned around to face the water once again before continuing, “I have to do something!”

He began to walk again, but he was stopped in his tracks when Nilira tightly grabbed his hand. Both of her delicate, tanned hands held onto his as if her life depended in it. Kieran winced a bit at her vice like grip as he looked over his shoulder to look at his wife once again.

“Jumping into the sea will not do anything! You cannot fish them out yourself, Kieran!”

“Nilira, I--”

“You will die if you swim out to the ship! Kieran... _ please _ .” Her tears fell harder now, and her voice cracked as she fought to speak evenly.

Kieran exhaled shakily and fully turned towards Nilira again. She released her grip in his wrist as he pulled her close, wrapping his thick arms around her. Hot tears began to fall as Kieran silently sobbed into his wife's hair.


End file.
